Cleveland Cavaliers: Top 15 draft picks in franchise history
Center. Lithuania. Zydrunas Ilgauskas. 2. player. 156.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas was drafted by the Cavaliers with the 20th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft.
Ilgauskas quietly had one of best careers in Cavalier history. Albeit Ilgauskas ended his career with the Miami Heat, the 7-foot-3 center played 12 seasons in Cleveland. Almost more impressive than his longevity is his durability. Big Z, as he was also called, played eight straight seasons over 60 games. For a 7-foot-3 center, that’s almost unheard of with the injury potential.
In those twelve seasons, Ilgauskas averaged double figures in all 12. Ilgauskas finished his career second in points, first in rebounds, second in minutes, and first in blocks for the Cavaliers. He was only a two-time NBA All-Star.
Ilgauskas’ teams were never excellent until King James came to town. Then, James helped take the Cavaliers and Big Z to the franchise’s first NBA Finals. So, while he wasn’t a dominant player, his size and durability allowed him to go down as a Cavalier legend.